Cheap laptop that can run KSP? (~500$)

[PTNLemay]

I'd like to get myself a laptop for college that can do some light gaming on the side. Really I'd like to be able to show the game off to people without necessarily bringing them all the way back to my place and sitting them in front of my desktop. Carrying around KSP in my bag would be a great alternative (plus it just sounds really fun to be able to play it while out and about).

I'm leaning towards Lenovo Thinkpads because I hear those are decently solid and have good keyboards (which is important if I want to use this in class to take notes). I would rather not get one with a discrete card because that usually makes the laptop more expensive and in my experience kills the battery much faster. So that would leave me with either Intel HD graphics or an AMD APU.

This is off of the wiki:

2.0Ghz Dual Core CPU or higher (preferably higher)

4GB RAM

512MB Video Card, Shader Model 3.0

1GB Free HD space* Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8

An Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.6 or higher

A Debian based Linux distro

So yeah, how would an Haswell Core i3 with Intel HD 4600 handle the game? I also found on the Lenovo site a ThinkPad E545 that comes with a A8-5550M. I checked on CPU-boss but it only says that the i3 is the better one in CPU limitations, it doesn't compare the integrated GPU performances. http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i3-4000M-vs-AMD-A8-5550M

EDIT: correction, it's actually an Intel HD 4600, not the ivy bridge one.

Edited March 30, 2014 by PTNLemay

[Guest]

Well, I've got a Dell Latitude E6500, for the exact purpose you described. It's wonderful, though there's a slight lag when looking at the ground. Mind you, though, it's a "Deluxe" version I got for the cheap, the basic E6500 is very underpowered, but can be upgraded if needed. In general, business laptops are the way to go.

[qromodynmc]

I really dont recommend thinkpad series,yes they are solid but,not really fast. But ideapad series are better for performance and multimedia works. Dont care brands much,I recommend i5 and higher cpu,gt630m or better gpu and 6gb ram or better.

Also ksp doesnt use cpu effectively so,higher clock rates are better.

[PTNLemay]

I'm wondering if the game would be more CPU limited or GPU limited using this sort mobile laptop hardware. If it is CPU limited, the i3 might be better since it has 2 relatively beefy cores, versus the more spread-out quad cores on the A8. For now at least excess cores are wasted on Unity, so going quad won't really help me.

But if it is GPU-bound, I suspect that the A8 has an edge over the i3.

@ qromo

Everything you suggested would probably place me around 1000$. That's way too much for my budget.

Edited March 29, 2014 by PTNLemay

[Guest]

Running KSP on a budget laptop is doable, but you will be limited in what you can do. As long as the texture settings are kept low and you don't try to build large bases that float on the ocean, it will run OK. That being said, OK means different things to different people. My idea of acceptable is framerates of 10 FPS or more. Less than 10 really starts to become unplayable because you start to lose control of the action. Many of the users here who are used to using higher quality desktops will scoff at that. Also, mods like Time Control can help you play with higher texture settings by sacrificing game play speed, or playing in slow motion. It all comes down to your preferences.

But, as one final piece of advice, I think your money would be better spent by buying 2 machines. One small portable cheapo laptop for carrying around to class, and another home based desktop for gaming. Buy the desktop one peice at a time and build it yourself. You will get more bang for your buck this way. And as a side effect, if you happen to get caught in a thunderstorm, or maybe just have a clutz moment and drop the laptop, resulting in damages, all you've lost is your laptop. The gaming rig is safe inside at home. Just food for thought.

[KvickFlygarn87]

Laptop? LAPTOP!?

Go desktop. Easier to update when needed, more powerful and generally lasts longer, provided you use safe clock.

If you wanna show people KSP, then USB sticks are the answer. They're cheap, portable and universal.

[PTNLemay]

@ Otis

@ Kvick

... I have a desktop. It's got an i5-3570K and a GTX670. I don't need to buy a second one. I want a second device that would allow me to play at a friend's place or in the student lounge so that when they ask me "What the hell is KSP anyway" I can start it up and show them. Because screengrabs don't show nearly as much as actual game play.

I know a laptop (a low-end laptop especially) will have compromises, what I want to know is if anyone here has enough know-how about tech matters as well as the game's requirements that they could tell me whether the i3 or the A8 is a better option. Dual core with hyperthreading and an Intel HD 4600 vs quad core APU with HD 8550G. Preferable someone might know of benchmark charts or reviews that could show something like "Wait, look! It turns out HD 4600 is super efficient and is the obviously better option!"

[Guest]

Ok, great. Have you tried this thread? : http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/42877-CPU-Performance-Database

[PTNLemay]

Hmm, I haven't. I'd love to participate but it does look a tad complicated setting it up.

Shame it doesn't seem to have A-series APUs on there.